Apparatus for degreasing gear casings



Oct. 27, 1942.

J. F. BLACK 2,299,789

APPARATUS FOR DEGREASING GEAR CASINGS Filed Nov. 22, 1940 INVENTOR. t/OHN F'BLA CK BY r/Z TT'OR/VEYS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DEGREASING GEAR CASINGS John F. Black, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Circo Products Company, Cleveland, Ohio Application November 22, 1940, Serial No. 366,677

4 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to degreasers and more specifically to improvements in degreasers of the thermovaporiflc type designed for suspension from a gear casing or similar metal housing to be cleaned.

The invention further pertains to improvements in degreasers of the general character illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 336,635, filed May 22, 1940, now Patent No. 2,259,544, the improvements contemplated herein residing in the construction of a holder for a can of solvent; the provision therein of mechanism for piercing the can and the provision of a heating element designed as a unitary part of the holder and adapted to effect the vaporization of the solvent drained from the can after the piercing thereof.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a cup or solvent can retainer having a heating element coordinated therewith and provided with a solvent vapor delivery conduit constructed to facilitate the suspension of the cup from the housing to be cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder for a can of solvent adapted to support and pierce a can of solvent and designed to retain the solvent flowing from the can and further designed to control the flow of solvent commensurate with the rate of vaporization effected by a heating element coordinated with the holder.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing and the manner in which all the various objects are realized will appear in the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the preferred form of holder embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Referring first to Fig. l, the holder or cup 10 comprises a hollow body designed for the reception of a can of the type used in the commercial distribution of a solvent. The mouth of the cup In is formed with an annular groove H having a yieldable packing ring I! therein adapted for sealed engagement with the sides of a solvent can A. The lower portion of the cup is provided with a boss l3 which is threaded for the reception of a screw H having a pyramidic piercing point or spur IS on the end thereof. The base of the cup I is formed with a recessed boss l6 having'an electrical heating element l'l therein which is arranged in spaced relation with the bottom wall of the.cup to provide an auxiliary reservoir or chamber l8. The chamber is in fluid communication with the interior of the cup through an aperture H which is preferably designed to facilitate the free passage of fluid therethrough but which may be restricted to permit the complete vaporization of the solvent as it drips therethrough. The chamber l8 communicates with a passageway 20 having the walls of the end portion thereof tapped for the reception of a conduit 2| which is provided with a coupling 22 adapted for threaded engagement with an opening in the gear casing or housing to be cleaned.

In operation, after the can of solvent A is adjusted in position in the supporting member II the screw I4 is tightened to pierce the side wall of the can so that the contents thereof may be drained through the aperture l9 into the chamber l8. As the solvent contacts the heating element ll vapors will be formed which will flow under pressure through the passage 20, conduit 2| and into the gear case or housing coupled therewith. When the heated solvent vapors are brought into contact with the cold metal parts of the housing and mechanism therein condensation of the vapor will occur, so that the resulting admixture of condensate and dissolved grease can be drained from the housing.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for degreasing a gear casing comprising a holder, a wall dividing said holder into a pair of chambers with one of the chambers adapted for the reception of a can for a solvent, a spur in said holder for piercing the can, said wall having an opening therethrough, a heater constituting a vaporizing unit secured to said holder and extending into the other chamber, a portion of said holder subjacent said wall defining a passageway communicating with the last named chamber, a conduit threaded in the outer end of the passageway and coupling means on said conduit for detachably suspending said holder from the gear casing to be degreased.

2. Apparatus for degreasing a gear casing comprising a holder having an apertured partition therein defining a pair of intercommunicating chambers with one of the chambers being adapted for the reception of acan, a spur in said holder for piercing the can, a heating unit disposed in the other chamber of said holder, the portion of said holder defining the last named chamber provided with a channel and a conduit threaded in the outer end of the channel for detachably suspending the holder from the gear casing to be degreased.

3. Apparatus for degreasing a gear casing comprising a holder embodying side walls and a concave end wall, said holder being adapted for the reception of a can with an end of the can disposed in spaced relation with said end wall to define a sump, a resilient ring in the mouth of the holder engageable with the can, said concave end wall having a restricted orifice in its central portion, a depending recessed boss on said end wall, a heating unit mounted therein in alignment with the orifice and spaced from said end wall to define a chamber, said boss provided with a passageway communicating with the chamber, a conduit threaded in the outer end of the passageway and a coupling on said conduit for detachably suspending said holder from the gear casing to be degreased.

4. A degreasing apparatus comprising a holder having an apertured partition therein defining inter-communicating inlet and outlet compartments, said inlet compartment being adapted for the reception of a can, a piercing spur engageable with the can, a heating unit constituting a closure member disposed within the outlet compartment, a conduit communicating with the outlet compartment through a passageway formed in said holder and a detachable coupling on said conduit.

JOHN F. BLACK. 

